AKWA IBOM CITY DEVELOPMENT ON FOCUS

As Akwa Ibom Government project wing, got into Ikot Ekpene road with further diversion towards Itam main market, it we discovered that is an environmental rascality and threat which has crept into the Uyo major city after the abolition of motor parks in the Uyo capital city roads, in this direction Government intend to revert back to the status of pre-2007 era, by legally closing down the illegal motor parks and ban the emergence of motor parks in Uyo capital city, Eket, Oron, Ikot Ekpene and Ikot Abasi LGA’s areas Government intend to transform to municipal and metropolitan cities, especially the motor parks in and outside Akwa Ibom transport corporation complex, while also rebuilding another AKTC motor park closer to the main park in order to relocate the AKTC/NSIK transport agency to join every other transport company in the would be upgraded main park ,and Government intend to demolished the existing AKTC complex to build a 20-storey mega office complex, also the demolished Uyo market will be upgraded to enable the government build another mega complex for the proposed ibom oil and gas investment co.ltd with the sole objectives of partnering with foreign partners in the oil and gas industry to boost the oil and gas potentials of Akwa Ibom state in order to create wealth and employment opportunities for our people. We are working tirelessly to kick start a mini refinery in at least two locations in Akwa Ibom state to capture both the domestic and export market in Cameroon, our market target is to reach out to the petroleum market in the north central axis through Itu-cross-river state, Benue state, plateau state, Bauchi state, Adamawa state, Jigawa state, Kano state, Borno state, Yobe state and if possible border towns of Chad Republic, while the Ikot Ekpene is to capture the Abia State, Imo State, Anambra State, Enugu State, Ebonyi. The Ikot Abasi is to take care of the domestic needs and the Mbo is to supply the export market of Cameroon and fishing travelers, offshore rigs and Equatorial Guinea. Our aim is to restore and improve domestic refining capacity and prevent shortfalls in supply of petroleum products, Akwa Ibom government intend to re-activate the abandoned oil refinery license of the immediate past administration, arch (Obong) victor Attah, while set up a strong committee to review the issue of who is in charge of the leasehold for the marginal oil field which was acquired for Akwa Ibom state in 2000 from the federal government of Nigeria, as this conferred exploratory rights on Akwa Ibom state over the stub creek marginal oil mining lease 14, from our preliminary findings, this OML is supposed to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars yearly as our counter-interest as our state’s interest is being managed by universal energy resources limited, incorporated on the September, 27, 2001 to pursue the bid for the oil lease. the plans is to quickly unlock the oil and gas potentials and aspirations of the state without losing the state funds ,but kick starting a manageable and mini refinery in the state ,by constructing of oil refineries at low tonnage units kp-700 with 20,000 tons tank farm. The Government intend to hold meeting with the Uyo local government council on the urgent need for partnership with the state government and private investors to either convert the old Uyo motor park that is being occupied now by Jardin construction company to a fast food center that will be taken over by either KFC of South Africa, big treat of China or create a Chinese restaurant or an Italian cuisine that will always attract the foreign or aliens residing in Akwa Ibom state or more so get a private garden resort developers to come and create a greenish cultured international garden with a mini-conference hall for events, weddings, seminars, and meetings, etc. getting further towards the Itam market area Government also consider the urgent need to also relocate the entire Itam market and the sawmill market to somewhere closer to the Itam main market park, and broker an arrangement with the Itu local government council and private developers to build a befitting model market complex in the new site to enable the traders relocate fast, while convert the present Itam market to a mega shopping mall in partnership with reputable Lebanese shopping mall magnets, this will great boost the aesthetic and mega city status of the emerging Akwa Ibom state capital, especially being the doorway to the main city, beyond the Itam market to the main park, we intend to swiftly upgrade the entire motor park with modern facilities and shore up the entire surrounding with street lights and a functional police station directly opposite the main park. From government projections, once the proposed Ibom industrial international market, Ibaka oil and gas export free zone and other related industrial and agro businesses kick start fully couple with the proposed Ibom mega city along Itam along the Itam highway axis, the traffic congestion will be hectic and this suffice the need to relocate all traffic prune businesses to a separated areas like the main park axis, because of the massive influx of people and business interest to Uyo capital city. Government are also considering intensifying lobby group to the appropriate quarters to relocate the ExxonMobil producing unlimited headquarters from Lekki-Lagos to Akwa Ibom state, therefore government are looking at the need to set aside a massive portion of land at Oku Ibesikpo, somewhere behind the Tropicana complex for the ExxonMobil headquarters complex, while Ibeno will still remain the operational base.